I might have been
curious enough to watch
the Emmy Awards show
last weekend if they
would have had a bunch
of actual parrots on stage
squawking out anti-
Trump leftist talking
points in a lame attempt
at humor instead of
human beings doing parrot
impersonations, and it
might have been more
intriguing if they had
been squawking to an
auditorium full of actual
seals trained to clap wildly
on command instead of
people acting like them.
Then again, even that
would have been too
redundant, too predictable,
and too intolerably
boring to suffer
through for two hours.

It’s a sad and disturbing
commentary on
the status of America’s
moral character that people
who exhibit, defend,
and promote the attitudes
and behaviors
demonstrated by most of
Hollywood’s icons even
have a job. It’s even more
unsettling to consider
that their income—
exceeded only in ridiculous
obscenity by their
rhetoric—is largely supplied
by those who claim
to adhere to values that
Hollywood’s elites
delight to ridicule. Even
though they openly
despise the beliefs and
repudiate the lifestyles of
their "fans”, they’re able
to keep seducing millions
into buying their tickets,
watching their programs,
downloading their music,
and reading magazines
extolling their hedonistic
lifestyles.

All of us know
that none of these antics
are new. Every year sees
new attempts to reach
even deeper into the sewer and see if some
piece of filth can be
drawn up that is even
more repulsive than last
year’s offerings. Pointing
all that out again, I admit,
is redundant and doesn’t
accomplish anything, but
just pointing it out is not
my purpose. Pushing
back is better.

Wouldn’t it be
refreshing to see the
heartland of this nation
refuse to support the values
that run counter to
every positive and uplifting
thing about us?
Wouldn’t it be encouraging
to see a clear repudiation
of the attitudes and
behaviors that infect the
minds of our kids and
that tear our families
apart? Wouldn’t the day
look brighter on every
hand if we began to promote
a resurgence of the
kind of character that
built this nation and that
produced the greatest
real heroes we have ever
had? And doesn’t that
sound like a more positive
and powerful invitation
to our heart than
wasting another chunk of
our life watching yet
another "star” telling us
that their view of life is
the only acceptable one,
that garbage tastes good,
and that filth is funny?

God used David
to say it so well: "The
wicked prowl on every
side, when vileness is
exalted among the sons
of men” (Psalm 12:8
NKJV). That’s a one-sentence
synopsis of the outcome
that Hollywood’s
influence has already had
on America. It’s too late
to talk about devising
preventive strategies.
What we need is retaliation—
a concentrated
effort to counter the
effects of the toxic diet
we’ve been served for
decades by the entertainment
industry, but our
tactics have to be different.

God’s way to
retaliate against the
wickedness prowling on
every side would be to
take His definition of
moral and ethical character
out of the closet, to
put it on display in the
daylight again, and to
proudly herald its benefits.
We’ve allowed godly
character to be treated
like some kind of outdated,
behavioral antique, in
spite of the destructive
influence of Hollywood’s
hedonistic approach to
life. Pushing back
involves contrast and
conflict, but it doesn’t
have to be in the violent,
destructive, or coercive
ways we’re seeing so
often these days.

Jesus came to
offer ordinary people
with few options and little
or no hope a future
that was priceless, and a
way to live that was radically
different from what
their religious hierarchy
had shown. Jesus pushed
back with clear and simple
words, but they were
reinforced with a life that
demonstrated what His
words meant.

Unlike those
media icons who have no
intention of living among
their worshipers, much
less touching them, Jesus
did exactly that. Though
all of Heaven was subjected
to Him, he lived
among the poorest and
lowest of us, and touched
the untouchable. He didn’t
come to take from an
adoring crowd and offer
in return a glimpse of His
gifts and talents. He came
to take nothing from
those who adored Him
except the source of their
pain, and to offer in exchange
all that He had --
and in doing that, He
changed the world.

What if we retaliated
by living the principles
He taught, and by
celebrating those whose
lives are characterized by
things like honesty, integrity,
and faithfulness?
What if we turned off
Hollywood’s stars in
favor of honoring people
willing to stand beside us
and, like Him, live among
us?

In addition to being
an active writer, speaker,
teacher, and blogger, Ron
Gallagher serves in a variety
of roles as a ministry consultant
for local churches.
His Biblical insights are
coupled with down-to-earth
humor, satire, and relevant
stories, all aimed at promoting
"right side up thinking
in an upside down world.”
Ron strives to apply God’s
truth in a way that stimulates
the mind, encourages
the heart, and challenges the
cultural norm. Check out his
blog, "Gallagher’s Pen” at
www.gallagherspen.com